Monday, January 17: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Schools Closed
Wednesday, January 19: PS 166 Middle School Info Session for 5th grade parents, 9:30 AM
Thursday, January 20: PTA Meeting, 9:30 AM
Tuesday, February 1: Lunar New Year, Schools Closed
Monday, February 21-25: Midwinter Recess, Schools Closed
Please be reminded that gators and masks with valves are not acceptable face coverings during school. Other cloth masks are permitted in school. Public health experts recommend wearing N95, KN95 or surgical masks which protect better than cloth masks. The recommendation is that if cloth masks are worn, they should be washed daily. We have a supply of children's surgical masks if your child comes in without a mask or needs a new mask during the day.
Applying to middle school this winter? The middle school application will open the week of January 10, 2022, and close the week of February 28.
The 2022 NYC Public School Admissions Guide is now available! This guide helps students and families participate in the admissions process. It onboards families to admissions and using MySchools while pointing to robust digital resources and personalized support options. The guide will be available for students and families who may be applying to:
3-K (children born in 2019)
Pre-K (children born in 2018)
Kindergarten (children born in 2017)
Middle School (current 5th graders)
High School (current 8th graders)
Hard copies of the admissions guide were backpacked to all fifth graders today and are available to be backpacked to anyone else on request.
Fifth grade parents: Please note that we still do not have information, timeline or criteria about middle school admissions.
As more and more of our students receive the Covid vaccine, families can now access the new NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) Portal and provide student proof of vaccination at the DOE's Vaccine Portal, vaccines.schools.nyc.
To identify and support the social-emotional growth of all children in our school, all DOE schools will be administering a strengths-based SEL screener, known as the Devereaux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA). The DESSA asks questions about areas of social-emotional functioning including decision making, relationship building, confidence, and others. This tool will be completed by teachers.
See the presentation below for more about the Socio Emotional Learning (SEL) and the DESSA Screening.
Get an admissions overview. Learn how to find out more and stay engaged throughout the
The book covers all DOE admissions, from 3-K to High School. For parents waiting for middle school information, jump to page 45. There is not a lot of new information about the criteria this year or screened vs unscreened but it's a place to start. Once more specific information is shared with us we will have a meeting for 5th-grade parents.
A few important things to remember about using the playground afterschool.
Please label all of your children's clothing, lunchboxes, water bottles, etc. Labeled items will be returned to the student's classroom. Unlabeled items will be left in the Lost & Found bin in the outer lobby of the building. The items in the bin will be donated to charity every Friday afternoon, beginning November 5th. If your child is missing something, please check Lost & Found in the lobby before Friday.
NYC has a map of locations that offer free food (food pantries, soup kitchens), as well as farmers’ markets and grocery stores. Please visit a map of food resources across the city.
Arrival gates will close promptly at 8:20 AM. Students arriving after that time must enter through the main blue doors, where they will be given a late pass before proceeding to class.
While the DOE did not penalize lateness during the 20-21 school year, this year lateness will again be on students' permanent attendance records. To ensure your child is not late, please plan on dropping your child off by 8:15 AM each day. This gives them a chance to line up with their classmates and have an unhurried start to their school day.
Remember, late is late, whether it is one minute or one hour. Students who are not lined up with their class by 8:20 are late for school. Students arriving late because of a late bus are not marked late.
Children age 5-11 can now receive the Pfizer Covid Vaccine!
Please read this Vaccine Family Letter from Christopher Goll, Acting Assistant Commissioner of School Health
Upload your child's vaccine information on the Vaccine Portal
Health Screening Tool
Continuing the safety measures introduced in the previous school year, we will be conducting regular COVID testing of unvaccinated students grades 1 through 12. That way, action can be taken right away to protect the school community if there’s a positive case. Submit your updated testing consent form for your child using your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) at schoolsaccount.nyc or by downloading the form online at schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting and providing the completed printed form to your child’s school.
You can fill out the form using your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA): schoolsaccount.nyc
Download the Health Screening Questionnaire
Don’t have an NYC Schools Account? Learn more at schools.nyc.gov/NYCSA
Provide Consent for COVID-19 Testing
Fill out a COVID-19 testing consent form in your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) or download a printable version at schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting. Don’t have an NYC Schools Account? Learn how to get started at schools.nyc.gov/NYCSA.
Spread the word to anyone who is looking to get vaccinated! New York City is partnering with PTA and community groups like ours to encourage vaccination in our community. For every eligible person we refer to a city-run vaccination site or for an in-home appointment, Friends of PS166 will receive $100.
Participation is easy:
1. Request an appointment using the NYC Vaccine Appointment Scheduler.
2. During online registration, list "Friends of PS166" when asked "Were you referred for your vaccination by an organization as part of the NYC Vaccine Referral Bonus Program?"
3. Friends of PS166 will receive cash for each referral up to $20,000.
Monday, January 17: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Schools Closed
Wednesday, January 19: PS 166 Middle School Info Session for 5th grade parents, 9:30 AM
Thursday, January 20: PTA Meeting, 9:30 AM
Tuesday, February 1: Lunar New Year, Schools Closed
Monday, February 21-25: Midwinter Recess, Schools Closed
Please be reminded that gators and masks with valves are not acceptable face coverings during school. Other cloth masks are permitted in school. Public health experts recommend wearing N95, KN95 or surgical masks which protect better than cloth masks. The recommendation is that if cloth masks are worn, they should be washed daily. We have a supply of children's surgical masks if your child comes in without a mask or needs a new mask during the day.
Applying to middle school this winter? The middle school application will open the week of January 10, 2022, and close the week of February 28.
The 2022 NYC Public School Admissions Guide is now available! This guide helps students and families participate in the admissions process. It onboards families to admissions and using MySchools while pointing to robust digital resources and personalized support options. The guide will be available for students and families who may be applying to:
3-K (children born in 2019)
Pre-K (children born in 2018)
Kindergarten (children born in 2017)
Middle School (current 5th graders)
High School (current 8th graders)
Hard copies of the admissions guide were backpacked to all fifth graders today and are available to be backpacked to anyone else on request.
Fifth grade parents: Please note that we still do not have information, timeline or criteria about middle school admissions.
As more and more of our students receive the Covid vaccine, families can now access the new NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) Portal and provide student proof of vaccination at the DOE's Vaccine Portal, vaccines.schools.nyc.
To identify and support the social-emotional growth of all children in our school, all DOE schools will be administering a strengths-based SEL screener, known as the Devereaux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA). The DESSA asks questions about areas of social-emotional functioning including decision making, relationship building, confidence, and others. This tool will be completed by teachers.
See the presentation below for more about the Socio Emotional Learning (SEL) and the DESSA Screening.
Get an admissions overview. Learn how to find out more and stay engaged throughout the
The book covers all DOE admissions, from 3-K to High School. For parents waiting for middle school information, jump to page 45. There is not a lot of new information about the criteria this year or screened vs unscreened but it's a place to start. Once more specific information is shared with us we will have a meeting for 5th-grade parents.
A few important things to remember about using the playground afterschool.
Please label all of your children's clothing, lunchboxes, water bottles, etc. Labeled items will be returned to the student's classroom. Unlabeled items will be left in the Lost & Found bin in the outer lobby of the building. The items in the bin will be donated to charity every Friday afternoon, beginning November 5th. If your child is missing something, please check Lost & Found in the lobby before Friday.
NYC has a map of locations that offer free food (food pantries, soup kitchens), as well as farmers’ markets and grocery stores. Please visit a map of food resources across the city.
Arrival gates will close promptly at 8:20 AM. Students arriving after that time must enter through the main blue doors, where they will be given a late pass before proceeding to class.
While the DOE did not penalize lateness during the 20-21 school year, this year lateness will again be on students' permanent attendance records. To ensure your child is not late, please plan on dropping your child off by 8:15 AM each day. This gives them a chance to line up with their classmates and have an unhurried start to their school day.
Remember, late is late, whether it is one minute or one hour. Students who are not lined up with their class by 8:20 are late for school. Students arriving late because of a late bus are not marked late.
Calling all volunteers - we need your help! Chair a committee? Help on the day of an event? Let us know in our updated survey.
Are you interested in more in-person events this spring? Let us know what you're comfortable with and excited to attend!
> SPRING SCHOOL EVENTS SURVEY
If you have a general question, issue, or concern please email the administration, your teacher, or email us directly. You can also add your question anonymously to our google sheet. If you have a question or concern, others may too, and we can all work together to resolve it!
The chess program at PS 166 is a crown jewel at our school and one of the premier elementary school chess programs in the United States? Now in its 22nd year, the Manhattan Knights Chess Team boasts consistent top honors in all levels of tournament play. If your child is interested in participating in tournaments as a member of the chess team, please contact us to learn more.
Show your pride with our exclusive selection of uniquely branded products. 100% of the profit goes towards the PS 166 PTA to help sustain the resources and programs that benefit every student at PS 166.
Items may be shipped or picked up locally at Big Frog Custom T-shirts on the Upper West Side (80th/Broadway).
SHOP NOW
Thanks to your generous support, we were able to purchase guitar carts for the music room. Previously the guitars were stored in cases in a closet and it was time consuming and challenging to get them out for students to use. Now they are safe and easy for children to get out and put away. We can’t wait until our kids can get back in the music room to use them!
Our school community relies on parents like you! Please sign up here to learn more about volunteer opportunities, and to let us know what skills and services you may be able to share!
Find out more about the fun events we have planned for this year here, and learn about volunteer opportunities. Email our VP of Volunteers, Tiffany Boyer, with questions or ideas, or to volunteer for an event!
We'd love to hear! We really do want to take questions from our parent community and get answers for you. We will be meeting with the administration several times in the coming days, so let us know!
Minutes for the June PTA meeting can be found here and we will vote on their approval at our next PTA meeting on October 21st at 9:30 am.
Congratulations to our new PTA Executive Board and newly elected parent SLT members! The following are the results of the May 25th parent elections:
PTA Executive Board
Co-Presidents: Kristin Savov and Annalisa Petersen
Co-Treasurers: Emilie Wang and Geeta Koolwal
Recording Secretary: Sarah Sevier
VP Fundraising: Simon Franceschi
VP Events & Volunteers: Tiffany Boyer
VP Grants: Radi Morris
Financial Secretary: Ken Connolly
Communications Secretary: Amie Ray
SLT
Christine Nuzum
Jenny Passero
Yael Swica
Please also consider supporting our very own PS166 parent-owned businesses! If you’d like to add your own business to the list, please email us.
COVID TESTING
Over 95% of PS166 families have given consent for in-school COVID testing. Thanks for helping to keep our community healthy!
FLU SEASON
Flu season is soon and flu shots are available now. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises all children to be vaccinated before the end of October. “As we continue to face another year of COVID-19 pandemic, timely influenza vaccination of all persons 6 months of age and older, is a priority this year.”--AAP
PROVIDE CONSENT FOR COVID-19 TESTING
Fill out a COVID-19 testing consent form in your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) or download a printable version. | Get an NYC Schools account here.
NEW DOE TESTING PROTOCOLS
The mayor's office announced new testing and quarantining policies for NYC public schools. Starting September 27th, students at all NYC public schools will be tested weekly. Also, they are relaxing school quarantine rules to bring them in alignment with CDC guidance. So long as unvaccinated students were masked and maintained 3ft of social distance, they will not have to quarantine after having close contact with a student who tests positive for COVID-19. The prior quarantine rules required all unvaccinated close contacts of a student who tested positive to quarantine for 10 days.
GIVE CONSENT FOR TESTING
Every week the school will be testing 10% of 1st-5th grade students whose parents gave consent.
VACCINE FUNDRAISER
Spread the word: anyone who is getting vaccinated! For every eligible person we refer to a city-run vaccination site or for an in-home appointment, Friends of PS166 will receive $100.
1. Schedule an appointment here.
2. List "Friends of PS166" when asked "Were you referred for your vaccination by an organization as part of the NYC Vaccine Referral Bonus Program?"
COVID TESTING
If you are looking for testing outside of school, here is the city testing location page. There are free LabQ mobile testing vans located at 71st, 86th, and 97th streets that open at 10 am and return PCR results within 24 hrs.
NYSED seeks stakeholder input and suggestions for replacement terminology. The survey will close Friday, October 29.
Lincoln Center “Passport to the Arts”
This free, virtual program is for children, teens, and adults with disabilities and their families.
Fall schedule | Register
COMMITTEE CHAIR NEEDED
We are need a parent volunteer to chair our school’s inclusion committee. you are interested or would like more information, please email Tiffany Boyer.
Links for those who missed last week’s event or need resources: Video | Slides | Resources
Check out AFC's Guide to Early Childhood Education Programs for 3 and 4 year olds for the 2021-2022 school year, and our Summary of COVID-19 Changes to Preschool Special Education (available in English and Spanish)
Have questions about applying to middle or high school for students with IEPs? Watch Advocates for Children of NY's recent webinar about the application process for students with disabilities.
Advocates for Children of New York's Education Helpline provides individualized guidance and information for your education-related issues. Assistance available in multiple languages: Monday-Thursday, 10am - 4pm; (866) 427-6033.
DOE Free Webinars on Literacy
Designed to support families of students with disabilities during remote learning, they will focus on the basic theory and practice of good reading instruction, and share everyday activities for parents to use at home with their child. Learn more and register
Disability Pride Parade Visual Art Contest
The NYC DOE’s Disability Pride Parade Visual Art Contest is open to all Pre K - 12 students. Recognizing that art is an invaluable means of expression and communication, the DOE is encouraging students to develop visual representations of what the phrase, “Nothing About Us Without Us,” means to them. Contest finalists will be invited to a special reception, as well as have their artwork featured in a NYC art gallery and on promotional materials for the Disability Pride Parade. The deadline for submissions is Friday, March 13, 2020. All interested students should speak with their Art teacher.
ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN’S TURNING 5 WORKSHOPS: KINDERGARTEN ADMISSIONS.
These workshops will cover the process for applying to DOE public schools, including tips for researching schools, ways to submit an application, understanding how school offers are made, what to do when you get an offer, and more. See all webinar dates and register
Continued Special Education Services during Remote Learning
Your child continues to have the right to receive the special education supports listed on their IEP during remote learning. If you have questions or concerns, reach out to the Special Education office at specialeducation@schools.nyc.gov or call 311, or contact your child’s special education providers to confirm scheduling options for all-remote services.
Webinar: DOE’s Temporary Transition for Fully Remote Learning
Hosted by NYCDOE Division of Specialized Instruction and Student Support. Join DOE representatives to learn more about what the transition to fully-remote learning means for students with IEPs.
Advocates for Children Education Helpline:
This Education Helpline provides individualized guidance and information for your education-related issues. Monday-Thursday, 10am -4pm. Translators available. (866) 427-6033
Food Allergy Support - Return to School
If you are a parent or a guardian of a child with food allergies, you can explore some useful recommendations from the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) group regarding return to school:
PS166 Family Guide to 504 Accommodations
Please visit the 504 Accommodations Page for information on whether your child is eligible to receive health services or accommodations in school under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
For additional information related to 504 accommodations, you can review the Department of Education’s Student and Family Guide here.
Become a Certified Parent Member of the IEP Team!
The Parent Member is a member of the IEP team that supports a parent of a child with a disability at their IEP meeting. In this state-approved FREE training, learn about procedures and regulations, as well as how to promote the parent's understanding and participation. For more information, please visit here.
We are looking for new Inclusion Committee Co-Chairs. Please email the VP Volunteers if you are interested.
Support the inclusion of climate change education into NY State High Schools by signing this petition.
NYC’s first electric school buses will be added to the school bus fleet in September.
Families looking for places to take their food scraps for composting can search this list of current options,
Want more information? Click here for more composting sites and information.
The Morningside Park Down-to-Earth Farmers Market (110th & Manhattan Avenue), accepts textiles weekly. In addition, Wearable Collections will pick up from your residence, although there is now a fee, and a large minimum amount: https://www.wearablecollections.com/homepickups
Another option is Pick Up Please: https://pickupplease.org/
620 Columbus Avenue (btwn 90th & 91st Streets, west side of street).
Info: Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell ( 212-866-3970); Council Member Helen Rosenthal (212-873-0282)
Be sure to check out the Green Committee Home Page for more info.
